About 1 out of 3 South Koreans are worried about dining in office cafeterias or restaurants, a survey showed Monday.

According to the survey on perception of food safety from the Office for Government Policy Coordination, 35.3 percent of 967 respondents answered they were “worried” about eating at office cafeterias. The figure for restaurants came in at 33.9 percent. 

As for imported food and “adulterated food” on sale near schools, about 40 percent of respondents answered similarly said they were worried.

Nearly a quarter of respondents expressed anxiety toward the nation’s food safety management in general.

When asked why they felt it was unsafe, 29.1 percent pointed to a lack of interest in food safety by the ingredient suppliers for corporate cafeteria services, while 35.4 percent pointed to unhygienic cooking process involving eateries.

Regarding imported food, 31.8 percent chose the state’s insufficient inspections and management as the reason. For adulterated food, 26.5 percent believed it is in fact unsafe, and for processed food, 35.7 percent were concerned about the state’s insufficient inspection and management of food manufacturers. Respondents also pointed out the importance of local governments’ inspections for food hygiene.

By Ahn Sang-yool (koolsangon@heraldcorp.com)